We are in chapter fifteen of Exodus with our word for today. חֶ֫סֶד unfailing love, steadfast love, kindness, loyalty, graciousness, godly action. It is used 245 times in the Old Testament. We have already looked at this word before but there is so much to this word that we will look at it again. One of the aspects of this word is the dynamic of loyalty. Not only is it a steadfast love and an unfailing love but it is also a loyal love. In our chapter we see God acting in a way that showed his loyalty toward his people. He was on their side rescuing them from the Egyptians who had enslaved them for over 400 years. Exodus 15:12-13 You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. “You have led בְחַסְדְּךָ֖in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. God had given Egypt more than enough time to stop curing his people and instead start blessing them as he had established from the very beginning. So did you notice what God did the earth swallowed up the largest most powerful army of the world at that time. Then God uses our word which shows his loyal love toward his people that he is on their side and knows how to take care of any nation that is against them. Then in the next few verses look at how the nations around them respond to God’s loyal love toward his people. Exodus 15:14 The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia. Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone, till your people, O Lord, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased.
Also notice in our chapter that God leads his people with this loyal love. The Holy Spirit writes through David about God’s leadership using our word. Psalm 23:1-3 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. This opening is amazing enough especially the part about God leading us in the right paths. But it gets better because when things get dark, painful, and unbearable God continues to lead us with his loyal love. Psalm 23:4-6 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness וָחֶ֣סֶדand love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Wow that’s loyal love. He will always be with me and lead me all the way into my eternal home with him.
There is a wonderful description of Jesus when he sees hurting people around him that he sees that they are like sheep without a shepherd. They need God to lead them because the evil of the world has torn them open and thrown them away. We see this picture in Matthew chapter 9. The answer is to follow God because he leads with loyal love. Jesus himself is identified as not only the good shepherd, and chief shepherd but also as the great shepherd. I’ll close with this great description of how God leads us through Jesus with his loyal love. Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
